Morningstone, Fate and All Hallow's Eve

      The Celtic festival of Samhain marked the beginning of winter, and was long believed to be a time outside of time when the normal order of the universe was suspended and the barriers between this world and the otherworld were blurred or stripped entirely away. Much of the symbolism of our modern Halloween, witches, goblins, ghosties, ghoulies, Jack O' Lanterns and black cats trace their roots to this ancient festival when it was believed that divine beings and spirits of the dead moved freely among the living. At such a time, due to the relative proximity of the otherworld and the blurring of its borders, an invocation would be most powerful and have the greatest chance at success.

      To that end, Morgen has arranged for a choir and orchestra, modelled after the Morningstone choir and orchestra, to perform the Finale with his group. Instead of the sleeveless gowns and floral headdresses worn by the Morningstone choir for their Sprng festival, Morgen's Halloween choir wears heavier, long-sleeved gowns and their headdresses are made up of colorful autumn leaves. The predominantly male contemporary English orchestra are uniformly black-tie.

      On this night, of all nights, surely the musical spells of Morningstone will call as mightily as any scribbled pentagram that ever attracted Mephistopheles! Morgen hopes to summon Laura from the otherworld, and once and for all, bind her to him with his music. He has the means, the opportunity and the motive. He loves her.

      The Band is already on stage as the huge curtain at the rear of the stage part, revealing the choir on a tiered platform as Morgen's arrangement of "Sweet Mystery" for choir and orchestra begins. Part way through, Morgen's Band begins to play, drawing the Trashbabies out of the wings to take positions all across the front of the stage, belting out their rock madrigal accompanied by the choir and orchestra, and finally Morgen rises into view, singing the verses meant to summon his love.

      That's not the end, but it is as much as I'm willing to devulge at this time. Some mysteries are best left to the imagination, but if simply can't wait to learn more, you might buy the book or CD to learn of one of the possible endings for Changeling's Return.